A peptide derived from hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein inducing cellular responses in patients with HCV with various HLA class IA alleles.

C35-44 peptide is a well known HLA-A2-restricted CTL epitope originating from hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein. It was reported that the majority of HCV positive patients had significant levels of serum IgG specific to this peptide. This study addressed whether C35-44 peptide could induce CTL activity restricted to various HLA class IA alleles or could not. This peptide demonstrated binding activity to HLA-A*2402, -A*2601, -A*3101, and -A*3303 molecules, but not to HLA-A*1101 by means of stabilization assay. This peptide also induced CTL activity restricted to each of them, except HLA-A11(+) peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HCV 1b(+) patients by means of (51)Cr-release assay. With regard to HLA-A2 subtypes, this peptide demonstrated binding activity to HLA-A*0201 and -A*0206, but not to -A*0207 molecules. Furthermore, this peptide induced CTL activity from both the patients and healthy donors with all the HLA class IA molecules mentioned above by means of interferon-gamma production assay. These results may provide new insights for the development of a novel peptide vaccine against HCV compatible with various HLA class IA types. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.